14 Days Laos and North Vietnam Adventure

Day 1

Arrive at Hanoi / Noi Bai International Airport by flight ... (Please kindly advise us of the arrival flight). Pick up at the airport and transfer to your hotel in Hanoi for check in (Check–in time is 14:00 hrs; early check–in is at surcharge). Rest of the day is at leisure.

Accommodation at hotel in Hanoi

Meals included:

None

Day 2

Breakfast will be at the hotel.

Starting at 8:30 AM, our tour guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel. Begin by visiting the Tran Quoc Pagoda, a serene site nestled along the shores of West Lake. From there, transfer to the Ho Chi Minh complex, where you'll explore the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the revered final resting place of Uncle Ho (President Ho Chi Minh), and his stilt house, where he lived between 1958 and 1969. Move on to the distinctive One Pillar Pagoda, an architectural gem in the middle of a square lake. The journey continues to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first college dedicated to Confucian principles.

In the afternoon, choose one of the city's museums for further exploration, including options like the History Museum, Ethnology Museum, or the historically significant Hoa Lo Prison, once famously known as the "Hanoi Hilton." Return to the downtown area for a break by Hoan Kiem Lake. Wrap up the day with a cyclo tour through the Old Quarter, renowned as the 36 streets. This lively district is home to countless small businesses and shops, providing ample opportunities for exploration and capturing memorable photographs.

Back to your hotel and have dinner on your own.

At about 9PM, our driver will transfer you to the train station for your journey to Lao Cai.

Overnight on train.

Meals included:

Breakfast at the hotel

Day 3

Our tour guide will pick you up from the train station and take you for breakfast.

The day is devoted to a beautiful hike through the breathtaking scenery of Sa Pa valley. Start by road that descends in the wake of the street Cau May (6 km) En route, admire the rice terraces hidden behind mist of the morning, a truly awe-inspiring sight.

Follow a small track and cross Muong Hoa River and pass well tended rice terraces on your way to the Black Hmong village of Lao Chai.  Continuing through the colorful rice terraces you will reach the village of Ta Van Giay. As you continue your trek along the Muong Hoa River you will cross a small suspension bridge, roughly 2km from the settlement. Here you can discover a fascinating collection of rock carvings. These engravings depict some beautiful images of man, stilt houses and some beautiful decorative patterns.

We lunch in a home in the village.

After lunch the walk continues through a bamboo forest to Giang Ta Chai, a Red Dao ethnic minority village. After taking a rest nearby a waterfall to refresh, you start climbing uphill to a road where the car is ready for your journey back to Sapa.  

Accommodation at a hotel in Sapa.

Meals included:

Breakfast at the hotel

Lunch at local house

Day 4

In the morning at 8:30AM, our driver & tour guide take you to Cable Car Station and spend 20 minutes with cable car to enjoy the spectacular scenery.
Reach the altitute of 2800 meters, you have a good time to see the view and take photos, visit pagoda the spiritual destinations and trek up to 600 steps you will reach the peak of Fansipan – the Roof of Indochina. ( Spend about 1,5 hours for hiking and taking photos). Enjoy the view before heading back to your hotel for checking out.

Enjoy your free afternoon to explore Sapa on your own before being transferred to the bus station to head back to Hanoi. Arrive Hanoi in the early evening.

Overnight in your hotel in Hanoi.

Meals included:

Breakfast at the hotel

Day 5

8:00AM: pick up at your hotel and head out for Ninh Binh (2 hours driving). There is a beautiful roadside scenery on the way. Arriving in Ninh Binh city, visit Hoa Lu – the ancient Royal Capital of Vietnam, visit the two temples: Temple of King Dinh and King Le, admire the unique architecture from ancient times.

Continue to Tam Coc and have lunch at a nice restaurant with many local delicacies. Then boarding a small sampan to visit Tam Coc which means literally “three caves” (2.5 hour boat trip). With Halong bay type views of majestic limestone cliffs and mysterious caves, as well as countryside landscape like peaceful streams, rice paddies and deserted green fields, Tam Coc really has it all. You will feel the fresh air and peaceful moments, a very good opportunities for photo lovers, freezing the special moments and scenery.

Time permits, you can also visit Bich Dong pagoda nearby and climb up the mountain to have a wonderful perspective view of the Bich Dong and Tam Coc.

Overnight in Ninh Binh.

Optional: Riding a bike through the countryside in Tam Coc  or climbing up to Hang Mua, you will wallow in a wonderful landscape of mountain, valley and river, enjoy the spectacular views from Hang Mua over Tam Coc and Ninh Binh’s stunning countryside.

Meals included:

Breakfast at the hotel

Day 6

Breakfast at your hotel.

Morning departure for Ha Long Bay, we will go through the scenic countryside. The wondrous Ha Long Bay is truly one of Vietnam's most impressive scenic sights.

11:30 – 12:00: The crew members of  Lotus D’Orient cruise will welcome you at our waiting lough No.28 A, Tuan Chau Marina, Quang Ninh.

12:00 – 12:30: Get on Tender Boat to Lotus D’orient  Cruise and enjoy Welcome drink, meet the captain, crew to get a brief introduction about cruise and safety guidelines. Complete check-in procedure.

13:00 – 13:15: Enjoy Vietnamese seafood and vegetarian lunch, while cruising in the magnificent Halong bay - Lan Ha Bay, admiring the fascinating rock formations in the bay.

15:00 – 15:30: Visiting Tra Bau area where has known as an area famous for its unspoiled, poetic natural beauty and attractive seascape of Lan Ha Bay. This is the best time for kayaking to discover the truest beauty of the limestone islands.

Immerse yourself in the emerald, green water of the bay or enjoy the cool atmosphere on Lotus D’Orient sundeck.

17:30 –18:30: Joining us for Cooking demonstration to learn how to make one of the most famous Vietnamese cuisines, the spring rolls. Or reach the top deck of the cruise where the guests can admire the magnificent sunset over the Gulf of Tonkin.

Enjoy Happy Hour time – BUY ONE GET ONE FREE at the bar. It is an ideal time for photography enthusiasts to capture the greatest moment of sunset over Lan Ha Bay.

19:00: Dinner is served at the restaurant. After dinner, you can join the squid fishing program at the main deck or relax on the sundeck and sip the exotic cocktails and drinks at the sky bar (with surcharge)....

Overnight on cruise 

Note: the itinerary of Halong will be changed based on which cruise you choose and depending on the weather without prior notice.

Meals included:

Breakfast at the hotel  

Lunch and Dinner on Cruise

Day 7

6:00-6:30: Begin the day full of energy with the Tai Chi session and enjoy the sun just rising up beyond the horizon. 

6:15 -7:00: Have breakfast. Morning view of bay’s landscape with a cup of tea or coffee.

7:00:  You will join the tour of Cat Ba World Biosphere Tender boat. It takes 30 minutes to transfer from Gia Luan to Trung Trang – one of the most impressive caves in Cat Ba island, Vietnam by car transfer. The limestone cave has thousands of stalactites in various shapes, offering geological values with a typical cave ecosystem.

9:30: Back to Gia Luan Habor by bus transfer, then our tender boat drops you off to the main boat, you can have a quick showing packing your luggages and check carefully all the belongings before checking out your cabin.

10:00: Check-out from the private cabin and enjoy a fantastic cruise on the bay for room service. Complete check-out procedure. Enjoy lunch at the restaurant while the cruise is returning to the harbour.

11:00: You take the Tender boat back to Tuan Chau port. Return to Hanoi

Accommodation at a hotel in Hanoi.

Meals included:

Breakfast/Brunch on Cruise

Day 8

Sabaidee! Welcome to Luang Prabang, Laos. You are greeted by your guide and driver at the International airport for your transfer to the hotel.

Enjoy a welcome cocktail while taking a glimpse into the Laotian past through the silent movie Chang – A Drama of the Wilderness. Premiered in 1927, this masterpiece was one of the blockbusters of the year before mysteriously disappearing for 60 years. Re-edited mid-90s, the film is shown with new composition score based on Lao traditional music.

Followed with a dinner at a gorgeous ambience garden restaurant, before visiting the Night Market which is a great place for wandering, This night market offers a lovely variety of handmade textiles crafted by local and hill-tribe people, along with street food, knick-knacks and friendly banter.

Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Meals included:

Breakfast at hotel

Dinner at a restaurant

Day 9

Set off after breakfast for a visit of the Morning Market where, together with the guide and local host lady, we pick all ingredients needed for our upcoming cooking class. Today, we will not take part in a regular tourist-oriented cooking class. We will instead drive a little outside Luang Prabang center to a small village where you will join your hands to cook some major dishes. You will experience how typical Laos dishes such as Laap Laos, Orlam soup and papaya salad are cooked. The food is then brought to a local temple to offer for the monks’ lunch, and as part of this ritual, your name will be asked for a blessing chant. Later, join in an open talk about Buddhism in Laos with monks. We will also have the chance to have further exchange with the community before returning to Luang Prabang for a light lunch with the left food you will have cooked

Afternoon: explore the city highlights including The National Museum, housed in the former Royal Palace, showcases many treasures of Laos' royal past and features the Prabang, the sacred Buddha image for which Luang Prabang was named. Our next stop at the most reputed and beautiful temple of the city, Wat Xieng Thong – Luang Prabang's largest and most splendid temple, is best known for its impressive Tree of Life mural depicting the Buddhist story.

16:30: experience the wonders of the Mekong, aboard a Luang Prabang cruise for two hours. Enjoy charming views of the mystical city of gilded temples and ancient wonder nestled among the mountains of northern Laos and a lavish dinner from the comfort of your boat.. A pleasantly surprised way to finish your day

Meals included:

Breakfast at hotel

Lunch & Dinner

Day 10

Optional: We have the possibility this morning to wake up very early to go witness the Tak Bat ceremony, when the monks process along the streets of the town to receive the daily alms from locals

After a short transfer to the outskirts of the town, in a tranquil setting made of ricefields and lush green trees, we discover the importance of bamboo in the Laotian culture. Spend the morning learning about several aspects of the local culture, from crafts to music and food. We will have a chance to learn from a skillful craftsman and to enjoy a hands-on cooking class. We will then dine on the food we have prepared.

This afternoon, we drive out through beautiful landscapes of rice fields, hills and villages. You will stop to visit an ethnic minority village to learn about their traditions and culture. Continue to Kuangsi Waterfall, where water tumbles over tiered limestone formations into crystal clear pools, ideal for escaping the heat. Between cooling off in the pools, you can also explore the lush forest setting around the falls. A short walk brings you down to the abrupt waterfall where you will have time to swim or simply relax by the water’s edge.

Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Meals included:

Breakfast at hotel

Lunch at a local restaurant

Day 11

We leave Luang Prabang for our scenic drive to Vangvieng, a small town which is nestled on a bend of the Nam Song River. Its stunning scenery with its limestone outcrops remains unspoiled, despite recent developments with the advent of tourism. Depending on road and traffic conditions, we will arrive at Vangvieng by mid or late afternoon. Visit Tham Chang Cave with its stunning view over the valley, once used by the local people as a hideout from Chinese invaders in the early 19th century. Overnight in Vang Vieng.

Meals included:

Breakfast at hotel

Day 12

Breakfast at hotel, we take a small boat on Nam Song River for a tour amid beautiful scenery before heading to Vientiane. Vientiane is the capital city of Laos and, located on the banks of the Mekong River, it conjures up exotic images with a curious mix of Lao, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, French influences.

We continue to see the major sights of the capital; including the oldest Wat Sisaket, the temple with thousands of miniature Buddha statues and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo, which previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. Next, we will stop to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is well known as Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph, before continuing to Lao’s national precious heritage, the famous and sacred structure of That Luang Stupa.

Overnight in Vientiane.

Meals included:

Breakfast at hotel

Day 13

Breakfast will be at the hotel.

Do you eat your way through life? Us too! Tuk Tuk Safari loves food and Vientiane is a foodie’s paradise just waiting to be devoured. This gourmet safari visits local restaurants, hole-in-the-wall eateries, markets, factories and outdoor kitchens – so you can sample a smorgasbord of authentic and modern Lao food. Activities include:

See how kao larm (sticky rice and coconut snack roasted in bamboo tubes) is made and try some fresh from production

Visit a local fresh food market and observe the market activity

Stop at a local coffee shop to try a traditional Lao coffee

Lunch at the most popular Kao Piak (handmade rice noodles in soup) shop in town, where you can visit the kitchen and watch the preparation for the lunchtime rush.

Learn how to make traditional Tam Mak Hung (green papaya salad)

Visit a local ice-cream or dessert shop, see how they make their produce, and try a popular local treat.

Have a Beer Lao and some deep fried bugs at a popular beer bar on the Mekong.

Back to your hotel and overnight in Vientiane.

Meals included:

Breakfast at hotel

Day 14

Breakfast will be at hotel.

Free day leisure.

Transfer to Vientiane International Airport for your flight back.

Meals included:

Breakfast at hotel

14 Days Laos and North Vietnam Adventure

1 guest

2 guests

3-5 guests

6-7 guests

8-9 guests

10 guests

Single Supp

Package price for 4–star 

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